Trump staffer shared fashion influencer content from her government office while thousands were getting fired

When it comes to the workforce, Gen Zers sometimes get a bad reputation compared to older generations. This tendency to judge an entire generation a priori may often be unfair to those of unfailing professionalism. However, young adults belonging to this Trump administration, like Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, are not doing the rest of us any service by promoting this unserious and less-than-competent Zoomer stereotype.

“A moment for mix patterns,” Director of Communications McLaurine Pinover wrote in her influencer-like video’s caption on the same day that hundreds of employees – including 20 from her team – at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which manages federal workers, were told that they were being laid off. Even though her age is nowhere to be found on the Internet, one look at some of the multiple social media posts she made while federal workers were getting fired en masse, and you can tell she’s the type of individual who helps sustain the harmful stereotype associated with Gen Z‘s perceived lack of professionalism.

McLaurine Pinover and Karoline Levitt are examples of what’s wrong with hiring twenty somethings in important positions.

— Honey Deez (@antideezy) March 13, 2025

Using hashtags like “#trendybuttimeless,” not only was Pinover filming outfit showcases during work hours at her government office in Washington D.C., but she was also employing affiliate links to make an extra buck, which is, according to Donald Sherman (executive director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics), “illegal,” not to mention highly “insulting” when considering the wider context and the OPM’s role in thousands of people losing their jobs.

Girlie, it’s not the time nor the place…

Shortly after CNN reached out requesting a comment, McLaurine Pinover must have realized that she was about to get into trouble and deleted all online vestiges of her influencer spree. Technically, it’s against the law for public employees to promote private companies from their government workplaces, but one could argue that while it isn’t against the law to have a distinct lack of compassion, that’s what’s most criminal about Pinover’s actions. So much so that even some Trump supporters believe she’s “making Trump look bad”– even though he’s perfectly capable of doing that on his own.

Is it true that McLaurine Pinover is doing a side job taking and posting pics during work hours at her office? If so, she needs to go. WRONG for her to be in charge when she doesn't respect President Trump. Makes him look bad, we don't need that. Stupid and irresponsible. pic.twitter.com/1MTHTtvEtd

— Shirley Berns (@Lilliera03) March 12, 2025

For someone who preached about accountability as a justification for the firings, Pinover’s response, as quoted by The New York Times, does not sound like she understands the meaning of the word:

“While I was battling breast cancer as a new mom, I felt so unlike myself. I turned to social media shortly after as a personal outlet. I never made any income and with only about 800 followers, I’m surprised the so-called ‘newspaper of record’ finds this newsworthy. My focus remains on serving the American people at O.P.M.”

One can feel empathy for Pinover’s experience battling the disease. I do, and I hope this darker period of her life is behind her. However, it does not seem like Pinover was able to summon the same sympathetic feelings for the thousands of government employees who may be fighting their own personal battles, and now, on top of that, they have also lost what they knew to be their livelihoods. All the while, you, Mrs. Pinover, are flaunting your “professional fashion” from your government office to your 800 followers while spamming federal employees with emails demanding a bullet-point description of what they did during the previous week.

This TikToker’s satiric skit puts into perspective how absurdly and even egregiously tone-deaf Pinover’s quintessential Gen Zer wannabe influencer posts indeed were. While the new Director of Communications was showing off outfits worth hundreds of dollars, people were finding out their financial and professional security no longer exists. Well, Pinover did prove with her attempt at a discrediting jab aimed at CNN – when she was the one caught in the wrong – why she’s right at home as a Trump staffer.